Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act 2019

Polity & Governance glossary

Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

This 2019 Act changed how the National Human Rights Commission is formed. Before it, only a former Chief Justice of India could chair the NHRC. Now any former Supreme Court judge can. The Act also changed the members, the term and the deemed members. Deemed members are people who sit on the Commission because of another post they hold.

The main changes are:

  • the members are one former Supreme Court judge, one former High Court Chief Justice or judge, and three human-rights experts, at least one of whom must be a woman;
  • the term is 3 years or until age 70, and reappointment is allowed;
  • more deemed members were added: the chairs of the NCSC, NCST, NCW, NCM, NCBC and NCPCR, and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.

Example

After 2019, a former Supreme Court judge who was never Chief Justice of India could become NHRC Chairperson. The Class 11 NCERT description (a former CJI, an SC judge, an HC Chief Justice and two others) is now outdated.

Related concepts

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